Distribuzione Italiana Food (DIF) has expanded its logistics activities in Southern Italy with the opening of a new temperature-controlled distribution centre in Catania on November 5, 2026. Developed in conjunction with Geotrans the facility has been designed to allow the distribution of food and beverages, forging closer ties between local producers, transport operators and the company’s national distribution network.

The new platform, in the Contrada Giancata logistics area, is 14,000 square metres in size and is suitable for different temperature requirements. Of the total space, 9,000 square metres are for ambient temperature products, and 3,000 square metres are for fresh products stored between 0° and +4°C. Another 2,000 square metres are dedicated to frozen goods and negative temperature storage.

The entire storage area is fitted with five levels of racking with a clear height of 12 metres under the roof structure and a total capacity of 15,000 pallet positions. The loading and unloading infrastructure consists of 12 docks serving the ambient temperature section and four additional bays connected to a temperature-controlled buffer area, which gives access to the refrigerated warehouses.

The site also includes a 36,000 square metre marshalling area and 1,200 square metres of office space. It has a workforce of the equivalent of 41 full-time employees.

The Catania hub is not only about physical capacity but it is also the expression of DIF’s strategy to develop a closer cooperation with local transport companies to increase its territorial coverage. The food and beverage distribution network aims to engage smaller operators, including family-run transport companies, by encouraging the sharing of information on freight volumes and available transport capacity.

“This is a collaborative model that allows individual distributors to expand their operational reach without having to make big investments,” said DIF Network Director Antonio Cuozzo.

The new facility should also bring new opportunities for Sicilian food and beverage producers by giving them access to DIF’s national distribution network. This will provide local businesses with access to off-island markets through a stable logistics infrastructure.

Geotrans contributes its expertise in managing temperature-controlled freight and delivering to large-scale retail distribution. Chief Executive Officer Maurizio Faro said he was sure the Catania facility would be a key distribution centre for both Sicily and the broader Italian market.

He also expects the network to be increasingly present, supporting a wider distribution coverage in Sicily and in Italy.

Distribuzione Italiana Food has five logistics hubs with the opening of Catania. The new facility is on top of existing operations in Piacenza, Bologna, Caserta and Verona.

The company is now planning to expand its infrastructure by developing other hubs elsewhere in Italy, with the same collaborative model. This new investment is therefore a further step in DIF’s strategy to enhance the national food distribution while improving access to logistics services for local producers and transport operators.

Editor’s note: The article provides all the information including the opening date, technical specifications, storage capacities, infrastructure, workforce and comments from both executives, network locations and future expansion plans. The headline, subtitle, paragraph order and journalistic phrasing have been rewritten rather than translated sentence by sentence.